9 Adding More Missionaries

In November 1885 Church leaders sent Ammon Green and Ammon Allen to join Andrew.⁸⁷ Until then Andrew worked alone or with John Richards. When Elders Green and Allen arrived, Andrew worked with them, pairing off as convenient or all three going about together.

Andrew, on left; David Shand, standing; and Ammon Green. The two elders joined Andrew, who had been alone for several months.

One time a friend loaned them a horse, which they could use to cross the frequent streams without wading.⁸⁸ They sometimes found that even unfriendly people would grudgingly give the missionaries a place to sleep. The weather that winter was often very cold and wet.

In the spring (May 3, 1886), David Shand arrived and became Andrew’s primary companion. The four elders traveled extensively through Cherokee country and extended their work into the adjacent Creek and Choctaw Nations to the west and south, until Elder Allen contracted malaria.⁸⁹ They then made a major effort to go south into Creek country.

[July 12, 1886] Bro. Green and I got interested in a book “The Infidel[?] and his Daughter,” we read in turn until after dinner. then as Bro. Sawyer did not feel as though he had done right, he desiring to be re-baptized we went and found a pool of water and attended to the ordinance. his wife acampanied us. Bro. Green baptized him and I confirmed him. in the evening Bro. Green and I went up to Mr. Martial’s to visit them. they are Creek Indians. we met an ignorant, prejudiced fool. we talked to him and bore a strong testimony to him. we left him quieted down some. he had succeeded in prejudicing the Indians against. they got supper and invited him in to eat and left us on the porch. we soon got up and bid them good evening and went off. Mr. & Mrs. House, white people living in part of the house seen how we were treated, they wanted to get supper for us, we would not alow them, but kindly thanked them and went on down to Bro. Sawyers, had supper, found one of the children very sick with the flu. we administered to her and found a speedy releaf. this being the second child healed in that way.

[July 13] We rested in the shade, wrote and read and talked and studied. in the evening we had supper at Mr. House’s and later had a meeting in his home. after which we had a meeting with Bro. Sawyer & family, partaking the sacrament, and giving them council.

[July 14] We bade good bye to all the folks and started off, Mr. House taking us in his wagon 15 miles on our way. we walked 15 more and at about 3 P.M. arrived at John A. Richards on the Verdigris. we met Bro. Parker and family and had a good supper and rest.

[July 15] We wrote letters and send same. then went to the river and had a bath. and fished some. came back and in the evening held a meeting with the folks.

[July 16] Wrote some more to my wife and made preparations to go west. we stopped at Catoosa and got a lunch and posted our letters. we then walked on 4 or 5 miles to Bro. Martons. we stayed all night.

[July 17] We held a sacrament meeting with Bro. Marton and family, after which we ordained him (James Morton) to be an Elder. after giving him instructions we then went on west about 6 miles, called at Bro. Tunnel’s a few minutes and then went on over to Jake Harlows. was kindly treated. I have a cold in my head which injures my singing some. we sit around in the evening and sang songs spok pi[e]ces talked etc.

[July 18] We studied our bibles for a while then Bro. Tunnels came over to see us. we went home with him. and after a little talk we returned to Jacob Harlows and at 11 a.m. commenced a meeting in his house. we had a good meeting. Bro. Tunnels was anxious to have us go up to his mother’s house in the evening so we borrowed Jakes team and we rode 7 miles up near Tulsa. we had a meeting commencing at 8:30 P.M. had a good time. talked after meeting until a late hour then retired tired.

[July 19] We rode back to Jakes then parted with our friends. we walked 16 miles in the hot sun over prairies and hills. we stopped at Bro. Martans for a little while. then at Catoosa and had a lunch, and arrived at John A. Richards at about 5 P.M.

In the summer Andrew had malaria again and suffered intermittently until November, but he soldiered on in spite of feeling ill much of the time.⁹⁰

The missionaries walked far, often through forests, and missed many meals.

[August 10] We left Ogden Linders at about 9 o.c. and traveled 10 miles to his daughters place. Mrs. Smiths we were helped some by Mr. Linders boy who carried our valices. Mr. Smith was away. we had dinner and went on. we crossed the river at the falls Webber falls, stopped a while in town and then walked 6 miles further to Bro. Mc Daniels. we had walked about 22 miles and Bro Green was not well.

[August 11] We stayed all day at Mc Daniels and rested. wrote letters and read papers etc.

[August 12] We walked from Mc’s to Briartown 16 miles. hot and dry. stopped at the P.O. and got some mail. was glad to get to Bro. Mabreys. had a good supper and rest. . . .

[August 20] Finished my letters for the Post. worked some on my bible. in the evening Brothers Mabry Green and I went up to Mr. Davises and shelled some corn for the mill. then we went to the Post Office and posted and received several letters and papers. we came home and read them by aid of a light made of greace and a plate and rag on it. . . .

[September 14] After the mail came in and we had our dinner at Mr. Hendricks we started out. we started to find Mr. John Wilkerson, a man who had left word for us to come and see him. we walked about 7 miles to the neighborhood where he lives. we missed the road and walked about two miles out of our way. it was dark when we found it. neither of us were feeling well. he was not at home. his wife told us she could not keep us. we then walked back a half a mile and stayed with Charles Frank. he could scarcely find room, but did however. the woman was insulting in her questions etc.

[September 15] We left Franks at about 8 a.m. we walked and walked about choked for water. no dinner. at near sundown we arrived at Linders after a walk of 20 miles. my legs and head ached so it was hard. we were friendly entertained.

[September 16] We rested all day at Linders. was kindly treated.

[September 17] We walked from Linders to Thompsons store about 16 miles. we ate our dinner at 5 P.M. a lunch at the store. we missed the road and walked some out of our way. stopped at the river and had a bath. wrote to my wife.

[September 18] We stayed around the neighborhood and arranged for a meeting.

[September 19] At 10:30 A.M. we went to the grove, a place we were to hold our meeting at 11 a.m. only 4 persons came. we commenced our meeting at 11:30 and preached with but little spirit. after dinner with kind Mr. Thompson we walked on up the country. stopped several times at houses and got a drink and near night we asked to get to stay. we were refused. and next place Mr. James Horne we were kindly entertained, and had a long talk.

[September 20] We walked on up the stage road on the way to Ft. Smith Ark. we stopped at every house and gave them tracts etc. we stopped at an old place and was glad to get in after receiving snubs all day.

[September 21] We had to pay for our accommodations. after we went north up the Skinned Bayou we met many but none who seemed to want anything to do with us. we got our dinner of Mr. Bradly by receiving insults, etc. then we walked 15 miles over hills where no one lived. and finally we came to some full-blooded Indian homes but as we could not get an opportunity of staying we walked on until dark and then layed down in the woods. getting cold in the night we made a fire. we managed very well only having a few apples to eat.

[September 22] We got out early. had a wash and at day light set out in search of some breakfast. we came to a few poor huts of Indians and no place to get food until we walked 15 miles or more. we bought a lunch and walked 15 more to Mrs. Cashler.

[September 23] We walked 14 miles about to Tahlequah. we attended to some business, got a lunch, and stayed at Mrs. Terrell’s all night.

[September 24] We walked home to Manard, had a bath, found three leters from my wife at the P.O.

Ollie wrote faithfully and sent him a dollar or two, as she was able. While Andrew served his mission, Ollie had rented their house to provide a little income and she and baby Clare lived with her mother, Ma Woolley. Occasionally, Ollie stayed for a week at a time with her sister Ruth Hatch in Heber City.

At the end of 1886 Andrew summed up his efforts for the 23 months so far of his mission. He had walked 2,216 miles, traveled 768 miles in wagons, and ridden 221 miles on horseback, for a total of 3,205 miles. He had written 385 letters and received 355, and he had held 73 meetings.⁹¹ He had been involved in only three baptisms, but his assignment was not only to preach to strangers, but to maintain contact with the relatively few scattered Saints and friends.

Ministers of other churches often worked against the Mormon missionaries, warning the people, but that sometimes backfired. On one Sunday the missionaries went to a meeting to hear a Mr. Dobson, a Methodist preacher.

He was bitterly opposed to us and said to some men that if we preached their he would not, and told others that he would have nothing to do with them if they entertained us etc. we called at Mr. Bass’s had a pleasant talk. from their we went to Mr. Charles Colpin’s near Lescove’s and had a good meeting 12 adults and 8 children. we were kindly entertained by our friends. Mr. Colpin seemed to be a nice man. we slept at Lescove’s.⁹²

The work went on, winter as well as summer.

January 17, 1887 We remained at Lescove’s until about 3 P.M. we then walked to Mr. Bass’s. we spent the afternoon in helping get up some wood. at 7:30 we commenced preaching to an audience of 9 and 6 children. we had a good meeting and a pleasant time. we went to bed at about 12.

January 18, 1887 Slept in a good bed, had a good breakfast, and at about 10 a.m. we set out for Tahlequah. we went to Taylors hotel and saw Dick Glenn the Proprietor who gave us permission to use the dining hall. we then advertised our meeting for 7:30 in the evening. at the time of meeting Mrs. Taylor came and objected to our holding a meeting in her house. she abused the Mormons and went on to a fearful extent making herself out a fool. Mr. John Wilson the mail contractor said we could preach in his Office. we retired to that place and had a good meeting. had about 25 in attendance. all mails as the ladies did not come from the hotel. after the meeting we went to another hotel with Mr. Clark.

On April 5, 1887, after twenty-six months, Andrew received a letter from the First Presidency: “You are at liberty to return home. . . . you will still be regarded as having charge of the mission and the brethren ministering therein will look to you for counsel and direction, the same as though you continued directly in your field of labor.”⁹³ For the next ten years Andrew would supervise the elders assigned to the growing mission by letters and occasional visits from Salt Lake City while he earned a living as a salesman, both in-store and on the road.⁹⁴ A calling as mission president, even of so small a mission, claimed respect, but no compensation. He quietly bore the expenses of being president.

Early on Andrew had written, “To some, this mission would seem fruitless. I seem to feel satisfied that a foundation is slowly and firmly being laid for a great work amongst this people.” When Andrew and Ammon Allen returned home to Utah, they left only Elders Green and Shand in the Indian Territory Mission.